A font is a computer file that “tells” an operating system or software application how to draw a particular collection of characters and symbols. Most operating systems and text-generating software applications have a standard set of fonts used to create the text a user sees on the screen.
When printing text from a computer, a user is typically limited to the selection of fonts available in the operating system or software application being used. If the user desires to print in a custom font that is not available in the operating system or software application, then the user typically has to compromise and choose from the limited selection of available fonts.
To print in a custom font, the user can often create the font using font-creation software. In general, font-creation software is designed for use by typographers and graphic designers, and involves the user creating and editing bitmap grids or glyphs for each character and symbol in the font. For example, to create a custom English language alphabet font, the user may create up to 52 (26 uppercase, 26 lowercase) individual characters. As a result, creating custom fonts is typically too complicated and time-consuming to be practical for the average computer user.
Accordingly, there is a need for a relatively fast and easy way to generate a custom font.